it - ello y lo

Question

Just found out there is two words for 'it'. Is there any more? When do you use 'ello' and when 'lo'?

Exactly what I want to know too :) - Snowleopard, MAR 30, 2010

Answer 1

Lo has several uses as a neuter pronoun. As a direct object it can also refer to masculine, objects or people. This would not be a neuter usage. When it refers to "it" it refers to abstract ideas or unknowns, not like we use it in English to refer to objects, animals, etc. No lo creo. Lo siento. Lo sé.

Lo has others neuter uses (neuter definite article) like with adjectives (sometimes adverbs) when used as nouns. Lo bueno es... Lo importante es...

Ello, less common, is usually used after prepositons to mean "it". No quiero hablar de ello. No te preocupes por ello. Again, the "it" refers to something previously said or implied; not to known objects or people.

Answer 2

I can't help much, but i do know that lo is a direct object pronoun.

In the sentence "María compró un regalo" (Maria bought a gift), regalo is the direct object because i answers the question what. What did Maria buy? A gift. The direct object pronouns are:

me, te, lo/la, nos, os, los/las

The DOP that corresponds with regalo is lo, so we can rewrite the sentence as: "María lo compró."

Hope this helped!